Kalamazoo engagement photographer

Dani and Zach - Grand Rapids engagement photos

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March in Michigan means never really knowing which season we’re going to experience on any given day. As Dani and Zach’s engagement session date approached, a flash blizzard decided we would be working with winter, and they both rose to the challenge.
Location one looks like it could have been a nature preserve, but it’s actually the land where their home together will be built. It’s so cool to me that they’ll be able to look back at their engagement photos and see how different the property is through the years, and that’s a huge reason why I love including personal aspects into the portraits.

Location two was a bonus for me as someone who lives off coffee as my number one source of fuel. We ventured to Lantern Coffee in downtown Grand Rapids for a latte break from the cold, and then wrapped up at my favorite GR parking garage for some golden hour magic.

Spring is almost here, but I didn’t at all mind one final winter session. Congratulations you two!

Lindsey and Mike - Downtown Kalamazoo engagement photos

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Lindsey and Mike are the epitome of balancing each other in all the right ways. They met through teaching, and it didn’t take long for the sparks to fly. Lindsey is such a bright energy in every room she enters, and Mike is a steady source of support.

I adore these two beautiful humans, and I could not be happier for them!

Haily and Sean - Downtown Kalamazoo engagement photos

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No lie, every engagement session of the spring for me was shot in downtown Kalamazoo. I also have a super soft spot in my heart for the place. With the amount of couples sharing first date stories and fond memories among the parks, restaurants, and walking mall, it’s no surprise it’s at the top of the list for requested photo locations. I’ve never been a photographer to recycle backdrops however, so this means lots of jumping around to find new visuals, and things that can help tell the individual story of a couple.
It’s a fun challenge, and I’m here for it.

Haily and Sean met at WMU, but spent so much of their time in the heart of our city. The weather had been questionable every day leading up to their engagement photos, but the day of was absolutely gorgeous.

Congratulations cuties, the wedding next year will be totally worth every day of waiting!

Kylie and Evan - Downtown Kalamazoo engagement photos

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I attempt every year to take advantage of all the blooming trees in downtown Kalamazoo, and every year I typically miss the peak of them by about a week.

This year, we finally won when Michigan finally blessed us with something other than snow in mid-April! Kylie and Evan were super open to ideas when it came to engagement photo locations in the area, and so we adventured around some particularly bloomy blocks of downtown. They were all genuine smiles and laughter, and it makes me all the more excited for their October wedding.

Congrats lovely people!

Best of 2020 wedding photos

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Oh 2020, what can I say about you that hasn’t been said already?

There is no doubt that one year ago, none of us had predicted what we would be put through, but sitting here on New Years Eve, waiting to wave goodbye to 2020 with only the middle finger on each hand, I am truly humbled at all the wonderful moments this year also contained.

I wanted to share some of my personal favorites of the 2020 wedding season. Some of these photos represent what the year was, some show my progression as a photographer wanting to take more unique and risky portraits, and some just show the amount of love that continued to show itself through a historically challenging time.

I grew in a lot of ways this year, and I thank you all for growing with me.

Here’s to you beautiful people making the most of it, Happy New Year.

Britt and Zach - Warren Dunes engagement photos

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Britt and Zach are easily some of the sweetest people you’ll ever meet. They’re both driven and ambitious and spend so much of their time looking out for each other and the people around them.

When we were finally able to get an engagement session on the calendar (Thanks 2020), it was the perfect sunny beach day for a mini road trip from Kalamazoo to Warren Dunes. This spot has always had a million different locations to photograph in, and Britt and Zach were super down to adventure around with us.

Congrats you two! Your September wedding is going to be the stuff dreams are made of (and I’m not just saying that because the wedding meal is tacos).

Ashley and Cole - Kalamazoo engagement photos

As I’m getting ready to finally get back out there shooting intimate wedding ceremonies and engagement sessions (safely, and with nice long lenses) I’m still loving going back through previous work, so here’s another un-posted session in the meantime!
You would not believe the amount of times I’ve heard that someone doesn’t enjoy having their photo taken, but then they show up and absolutely nail it.
That was definitely the case with Cole. Ashley warned me at our first meeting that he hated photos so much that we could probably only talk him into a 30 minute mini-engagement session. She did, and it turned out that’s all they needed.
I had the best time walking through the woods of Al Sabo with them in the warm fall morning light, talking about their plans and their experiences. Ashley was glowing the whole time, and Cole just kept looking at her like she was the only thing in his world.

Their wedding plans may have shifted a little due to the COVID-19 situation, but their love is going to be just as strong when the wedding day arrives.

Congratulations you two!

Allison and Josh - Kalamazoo engagement photos

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I’ve grown really find of winter engagement sessions over the last few years.
There’s a certain romance to the snowy landscape around Kalamazoo, and it’s hard to beat that soft light all day long. In addition, you’re forced to think a little bit harder about warmup locations which adds to the challenge and creativity, with the added bonus that snow-loving couples tend to not let anything phase them. It’s a win all around!

Allison and Josh are sweet, authentic and have the warmest smiles around. Turns out they had been so close to knowing each other from one connection or another all their lives, but when the time was right and they finally met, it was definitely meant to be. They already had fantastic ideas for where they wanted to shoot their engagement photos, and as always, Kalamazoo delivers.

Congratulations Allison and Josh, I’m so stoked for your wedding this year!

Breanna and Robbie - Dark Horse Brewing Co. wedding photos

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I first met Breanna and Robbie at a brewery (which is always a good sign) and I could tell immediately that they were my kind of people. Our meeting was probably 50% actually talking about the wedding and 50% discussing shared interests of beer brewing, their amazing early dates at the zoo, and other completely unrelated topics. It was wonderful.
They decided on Dark Horse Brewing Co. as their venue, and that is still easily one of my all time favorites. The setting, the staff, and of course the beer, all make for a fantastic day all around. Wanting to keep their wedding carefree and simple, they chose a relatively short amount of photography coverage, and I was completely in awe of what we got to capture in that amount of time.
Breanna, I have no doubt that Robbie will always look at you the way he did when you first walked down the aisle.
Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. O’Neill!

McKenzie and Brandon - Chicago engagement photos

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McKenzie and Brandon moved to Chicago and immediately felt right at home. They embraced both the urban environment and natural parks near their home, and knew they wanted to incorporate the windy city, as well as their furbaby Theo, into their engagement photos. When our first engagement shoot day got rained out (One of the many reasons I trust weather predictions about as much as I trust a 5 year old who tells me my hair looks fine), we picked an early July date and watched the forecast like a hawk. The day finally arrived, and there was hardly a cloud in the sky!
The two of them had one request though: They wanted the essence of Chicago as a resident would see it, not a tourist. Rather than showing attractions or main streets full of people, we walked around their neighborhood and adventured into the Wrigleyville area, looking for great textures and settings. They were up for anything, and we had an incredible time documenting that.

Congratulations McKenzie and Brandon!

Hannah and Zach - Kalamazoo Bell's Brewery wedding

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Hannah and Zach are the perfect example of doing a wedding their own way, and absolutely rocking at it. They wrote their own vows to each other promising the things that really mattered to them, they opted out of a formal wedding part in favor of photos with all their family and friends, and decided that for portraits they wanted to adventure around downtown Kalamazoo to capture the city they fell in love with together.
Also, Bell’s Brewery is easily one of my top wedding venues of all time. Everything about the day was a dream to photograph, especially Hannah and Zach.

Congratulations you two, I hope your life together is every bit as beautiful as your wedding day!

Jayna and Brandon - Downtown Kalamazoo engagement photos

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Jayna and Brandon’s engagement session was scheduled on a day with the oddest weather I’ve seen (maybe ever). Checking the forecast the morning of, predictions kept flipping from cloudy, to sun, to thunderstorms and I wasn’t quite sure what we were going to end up with.
I called Jayna to see if she wanted to try for a nicer day, and to my surprise they were completely ready for engagement photos no matter what! I couldn’t have been more thrilled with the results. We chose a spot downtown Kalamazoo where we could jump inside for a second if the conditions did get well and truly crazy, and it just so happened to also have awesome texture and leading lines for days.

The rain stopped and started FIVE TIMES as we were shooting, and they didn’t flinch once. At one point, I looked over and saw that the sun came out as it was still pouring, so I asked them “Hey, what if you went and danced in the rain?” and with no hesitation, they embraced every bit of it.
They are both easygoing, wonderful, and so perfect for eachother.
Congratulations Jayna and Brandon! I can’t wait for your November wedding.

Tammy and Paula - South Haven engagement photos

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Tammy and Paula are the perfect example of people who are completely complementary to each other. We chose two locations that are special to them in some way, and the rest was just letting them be who they are together. At one point during our shoot, I asked each of them what they loved most about the other person and their answers almost had me in tears. They truly notice and appreciate the little things about each other, and that’s so special to see.

You two are so great together, and I can’t wait for your wedding this summer!

Maddie and Connor - Kalamazoo greenhouse engagement photos

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It’s a little bit ridiculous how natural Maddie and Connor are in front of the camera. Frequently I would look up from the camera to give them a prompt, and they would already be doing it. Basically, they’re a pair of photogenic rockstars, and I love it.
They wanted to make sure we included a piece of their WMU history in the photos, so we planned on swinging by the campus off Drake rd, and visit Asylum lake as it’s understandably one of their favorite spots in Kalamazoo, but this still left me with a warm up location for a February engagement session and I knew just the spot. VanderSalm’s Flowers is full of much needed color for winter photos, and they were super gracious to let us come in and take advantage of their greenhouse temperatures.

Thanks for being amazing you guys, I’m all sorts of excited for your Bell’s Brewery wedding this summer!

Amanda and Mark - Kalamazoo Sweetwater's Donut Mill engagement photos

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When I first started talking engagement photo ideas with Amanda and Mark, she had one simple request: Her donut obsession needed to be represented. Obviously, Kalamazoo engagement photos meant Sweetwater’s was the clear option, and now I’m looking for any excuse to work delicious donuts into photo shoots!
These two are so unique and talented, and I have complete confidence their wedding is going to be a perfect reflection of who they are.

Congratulations you lovely people, I can’t wait to celebrate your marriage!

Simone and Keith - Arcadia Brewing Kalamazoo engagement

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These two are a living testimonial for why I encourage dogs during sessions, and why I believe people who choose to have microbrewery weddings are a different type of phenomenal.
Simone and Keith could light up any room they enter. The genuine joy they experience from living life together is so infectious, I left the engagement shoot with a gigantic smile on my face. They’re laid back and wonderful, never missing a chance to laugh together.
It only made sense that the ideal place to warm up during the shoot would be a brewery, and Arcadia is one of my favorites. Huge windows, space for dogs in the warmer months, and no shortage of excellent brews. And let me tell you, we needed to warm up. It was beyond frigid the day of their engagement photos, and yet nothing seemed to dim their spirits.

Congratulations Simone and Keith, your Bell’s Brewery wedding is going to be unbelievable!